AeroVironment’s New TurboDock EV Charging Station Is “Ideal” For Commercial Uses
The EV charging station developer and manufacturer AeroVironment recently unveiled a “next-gen” charging station for commercial/workplace installation, promising a number of different features that make it ideal for just such an environment, as per a recent press statement.
It’s worth nothing here that the new charging station solution — dubbed as the “TurboDock” — can be controlled via a smartphone app. No doubt one of the main selling points, but certainly not the only thing that sets the charging station apart.
Amongst other qualities/features, the TurboDock apparently employs a number of cost-saving measures (with regard to ownership and maintenance costs) — a simple design that uses fewer parts than conventional designs; cutting the need for dedicated cellular service with cheaper Bluetooth functionality/connectivity; and an increased number of chargers per station.
The TurboDock — as it is right out of the box, not customized — offers both Level 1 (12 amps/120 volts) + Level 2 charging (16 Amps/240 Volts). And it can be easily modified to the specific environments that it’ll be used in — for example, “an administrator can give one universal access code to all of their EV-driving users, assign each user their own unique access code or choose open access for all users. TurboDock makes switching between open access and access control quick and simple.”
The senior vice president and general manager of AeroVironment’s Efficient Energy Systems business segment, Wahid Nawabi, provided a few other things of note in a couple of comments he made:
Moreover, its modular design offers maximum flexibility. (The) TurboDock comes in two models, a pedestal unit that accommodates one to four chargers per location and a wall adapter that can be configured with one or two chargers per location. This modular design makes it easy to expand the number of chargers as needed over time.
When configured for 12 amp or 16 amp charging, TurboDock provides twice as many chargers with the same electrical service required for a 30 amp charging. More chargers mean increased productivity since TurboDock alleviates the need for EV-driving employees to move their vehicles during the workday so someone else can use the charger.
TurboDock also eliminates the costs associated with managing access cards or key fobs. And it is upgradeable, allowing the addition of future options and next-generation software through the smartphone app.
Those interested will be happy to know that the price isn’t particularly excessive — the current list price is apparently $1,299 for the charging module alone, and $1,798 for the charging module and mounting plate or pedestal.
Image Credit: AeroVironment
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Or you can just supply the power for free. Is it worth setting up a charging system for employees and customers at €1 a time? It’s different for a roadside supercharger.
I was thinking that some businesses would be more likely to install an EV charger if it was either cost neutral (pay retail for the electricity) or a net revenue generator (to offset installation costs). I agree, it’s not much, but just showing up in the black vs in the red can make the difference.
It would be valuable to have a list of all the current consumer grade EV chargers, price, etc (I know, one more thing to create and maintain)